Dallas County Reports 35 New Deaths From COVID-19, New York’s First Virus Strain

Dallas County reported an additional 35 deaths from COVID-19 and 351 new cases of coronavirus on Thursday.

The last victims were mostly 60 or older, but a woman in her 20s and a woman in her 30s also died. Eighteen were men and seventeen were women. Three of them, including two men in their 40s, did not have underlying high-risk health conditions.

Sixteen of the victims lived in Dallas, four were from Garland and Grand Prairie, three were from Irving and Mesquite and one lived in Balch Springs, Cockrell Hill, DeSoto, Farmers Branch and Rowlett.

County judge Clay Jenkins said in a written statement that one of the new cases was variant B.1.526 of the virus – a more common strain in New York – and that the person who contracted it did not travel outside the county. There have also been several recent cases of variant B.1.1.7, which was first identified in the UK and can be more deadly.

Jenkins said the local appearance of these strains is a good reason to continue taking precautions against the virus, including wearing a mask and avoiding crowds.

“By practicing the fact-based approaches that provided protection during the past year, along with recording how many places you want to drive and being vaccinated as soon as it is your turn, we will win COVID-19 this year,” he said.

Of the new cases, 229 were confirmed and 122 were likely. The figures bring the total county cases to 285,683, including 248,724 confirmed and 36,959 probable. The death toll is 3,236.

Health officials use hospitalizations, intensive care admissions and visits to emergency rooms as key metrics to track the real-time impact of COVID-19 in the county. In the 24-hour period ended on Wednesday, 268 patients with COVID-19 were in intensive care at hospitals in the municipality. During the same period, 396 visits to the emergency room were for symptoms of the disease.

According to the state, 403,603 people in Dallas County received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 224,351 – 11.1% of the county’s population aged 16 and over – are fully vaccinated.

Texas

Across the state, 4,755 cases were reported Thursday, including 4,053 new cases and 702 older cases recently reported by labs.

The state also recorded 231 deaths from COVID-19, increasing its number to 45,106.

Of the new cases, 3,032 were confirmed and 1,021 were likely. Of the oldest cases, 548 were confirmed and 154 were likely.

The total number of cases in the state is now 2,704,344, including 2,333,796 confirmed and 370,548 probable.

There are 4,406 COVID-19 patients in Texas hospitals, including 926 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. On Wednesday, 5.6% of patients in the region of the hospital that covers the Dallas-Fort Worth area were patients with COVID-19 – below the 15% limit the state has used to define high hospitalizations.

The statewide seven-day average positivity rate for molecular testing, based on the date of collection of the test sample, was 7.1% on Wednesday. For antigen tests, the positivity rate for the same period was 3.5%. A molecular test is considered more accurate and is sometimes also called a PCR test; an antigen test is also called a rapid test. Governor Greg Abbott said a positivity rate above 10% is a cause for concern.

According to the state, 4,848,150 people in Texas received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, while 2,602,278 – 11.6% of the state’s population aged 16 and over – are fully vaccinated.

Tarrant County

Tarrant County reported eight deaths and 433 cases on Thursday.

The latest victims were two Fort Worth residents, a man in his 70s and a woman in his 80s; an Arlington man in his fifties; an Azle man in his 60s; a man from the city of Haltom in his 40s; a Keller man in his 80s; a North Richland Hills man in his 60s; and a man over 90 who lived in an unincorporated area. Six of the eight had underlying high-risk health conditions.

Of the new cases, 262 were confirmed and 171 were likely. The numbers bring the county’s total cases to 246,510, including 208,894 confirmed and 37,616 probable. The death toll is 3,038.

According to the city, 295 people were hospitalized with the virus until Wednesday.

According to the state, 294,228 people in Tarrant County received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 184,226 – 11.5% of the county’s population aged 16 and over – are fully vaccinated.

Collin County

The state added four deaths and 140 cases to the Collin County total on Thursday.

No details on the latest victims were available.

Of the new cases, 62 were confirmed and 78 were likely. The numbers bring the county’s total cases to 84,729, including 70,897 confirmed and 13,832 probable. The death toll is 758.

According to the municipality, 183 people are hospitalized with the virus.

According to the state, 181,967 people in Collin County received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 108,572 – 13.5% of the county’s population aged 16 and over – are fully vaccinated.

Denton County

Denton County reported 455 cases on Thursday. No additional deaths were reported.

The new reported cases bring the county’s total cases to 69,307, including 51,637 confirmed and 17,670 probable. The death toll is 431.

According to the city, 51 people are hospitalized with the virus.

According to the state, 126,448 people in Denton County received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, while 88,245 – 12.6% of the county’s population aged 16 and over – are fully vaccinated.

Other counties

The Texas Department of Health Services has taken over the reports from these other counties in North Texas. In some counties, new data may not be reported every day.

The last numbers are:

• Rockwall County: 10,797 cases (8,868 confirmed and 1,929 probable), 137 deaths.
• Kaufman County: 15,146 cases (12,829 confirmed and 2,317 probable), 231 deaths.
• Ellis County: 21,471 cases (18,176 confirmed and 3,295 probable), 292 deaths.
• Johnson County: 18,870 cases (16,226 confirmed and 2,644 probable), 339 deaths.